Hawk’s-beard Mining Bee
Fast Facts
Latin name: Andrena fulvago
Notable feature: Orange-tipped abdomen and bright orange hairs over their hind legs.
Conservation Status: Data Deficient
Where in the UK: South/Central England as well as South East Wales. Not known from Scotland or Ireland.
Hawk's-beard Mining Bee (Andrena fulvago) © David Paterson (iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0)
Female Hawk’s-beard Mining Bees (Andrena fulvago) are medium sized and shiny with an orange tip to her abdomen as well as her hind legs. Males look like smaller, slimmer females. They can be found on open grasslands.
- Size: 11mm.
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Life span: Three months.
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Diet: Pollen is gathered from various ‘hawkish’ composites such as hawk’s-beards, hawkbits, Cat’s-ear and dandelions.
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Reproduction: The bees nest in individual burrows in soils, but can occasionally be found in aggregations of the same species. Their nests are occasionally attacked by the Hawks-beard Nomad Bee (Nomada facilis).
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When to see: May – early August.
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Population trend: A scarce southern species, potentially will increase as the climate warms.
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Threats: The decline of flower-rich meadows.
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Interesting fact: This bee has a shiny abdomen with a furry yellow tip which is different to many mining bees.
Buglife is helping the recovery of populations of Hawk’s-beard Mining Bees and other wildlife via our projects and campaigns, including Kernow Wyls – People for Pollinators, Solitary Bee Week and B-Lines, but we need your help!
Buglife B-Lines are an imaginative and beautiful solution to the problem of the loss of flowers and pollinators. B-Lines are a series of ‘insect pathways’ running through our countryside and towns, along which we are restoring and creating a series of wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones. Linking existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the UK landscape. More information about B-Lines and how you can help pollinators can be found here.
Join a recording scheme and log your finds – send any records/sightings to BWARS or download the iRecord app and get recording!
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